suffering

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Many of us know the hard edges of pain, injustice, and sorrow we felt would surely swallow us whole, or worse, bit by bit. Joseph’s story, the longest recorded single narrative in Genesis, is fraught with many opportunities to sink into the waves of sorrow, bitterness, and injustice. But God’s love was, and always will be, the greatest game changer of every story. In His lavish love, He strengthened Joseph’s faith in the midst of suffering and, rather than allow him to be swallowed by grief and despair, slowly taught Joseph to trust the Almighty Sovereign God. We each have this same choice. Every day. Every moment. Inside of each second of mundane or pain, God has provided the opportunity to lean into Him with authentic honesty or pull back. When we lean in, He increases our faith, strengthens our souls, sustains us, and gives His courage and peace. When we pull back, we soon find ourselves running blind through a minefield of bitterness, anger, depression, and despair. In the end, we lose everything. Take time to identity the opportunities the Lord is giving you recently. Where do you find your heart turning?

2) Joseph wasn’t really looking for redemption. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see the familiar faces of his brothers amidst the sea of faces that day as they came to Egypt, bowing to him, to purchase grain. Redemption and restoration within his family relationships may have surprised Joseph, but it didn’t surprise the Lord. He had seen this day from long before Joseph’s brothers had plotted to murder him. The Lord knew redemption was coming when Joseph unjustly sat in prison. More so, the Lord knew all the internal wrestling, heart ache, and grieving hot tears Joseph would cry in the years between being sold into slavery and the day he would embrace his brothers with glad tears. God never once abandoned Joseph; not one of His promises was broken. The Lord proved faithful at every single point, and eventually, Joseph saw with his physical eyes what the Lord had taught him to see with his spiritual eyes: redemption. The Lord loves us far too much to simply give us what we think we want in the physical realm without first teaching us what we really need in the spiritual realm: God Himself. Wherever you are in your own journey, high hope or struggling to lift your head, be encouraged that the God of redemption sees you, and He knows your redemption story inside and out. Trust Him!

3) Every injustice. Every broken place. Every wound that has relentlessly damaged bodies and relationships. Every single tear that has stained our cheeks. Healed, made whole, and redeemed one day. Joseph experienced only a small sliver of the full redemption the Lord had planned for His people during his life. Joseph’s family experienced partial redemption and the nation of Israel was blessed temporarily with safe harbor and sustaining food for a season. Eventually, though, Israel became enslaved for 400 years and suffered significantly in many ways even into modern times. Still, their homecoming is sure and certain, and so is ours. Whatever good we experience and whatever redemption we receive in this life is merely a hint of the good restoration still to come for those who have trusted Christ completely for their salvation. When we choose to adjust our lens to see our struggles with the perspective of Home on the horizon, even hardship becomes more bearable. Practice turning over your perspective to the Lord this weekend. Ask Him to fix your gaze on the eternity to come! To help you anchor in this truth, marinate your soul in truths of Scripture like Revelation 21 and 22 and Psalm 27.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 13:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, like Peter at the Last Supper, like Joseph in prison, like Israel wandering the desert, like Abraham leaving his homeland to follow Your lead, Your words speak truth to our reality, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” (John 13:7) When You sat with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), when You commissioned Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9), when You came to Isaiah in a vision (Isaiah 6), they had no way of knowing what You were doing in their timeline or how it would echo through the ages. But You did; You knew all along. You never cease to be faithful, steadfast, and true.

Teach us to trust You with our stories. Teach us to honestly bring You every piece of our painful suffering, surrendering it fully to You, and waiting with great, expectant Hope for Your sure and certain coming redemption. What You are doing now in our lives, we cannot comprehend the wide spectrum You have planned, but teach us to live by faith and not by sight. May our hearts choose praise, worship, and adoration now, whatever our circumstances look like. Here is my life, Lord God, make Your redemption known in its storyline!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Giving us a bit of Joseph’s story from Genesis, Sarah pointed out how his story shares similarities with Moses’ life. Neither of these men felt ready to speak on the behalf of others, but God equipped them fulfill His plans in His way. I completely relate to feeling unequipped. As I write, I’m preparing for a conference where my words will be critiqued as part of a focus group. Impostor syndrome and fear rises up strong inside and I need truth to anchor me and the Spirit to equip me. I am comforted in knowing that long before I began penning these very words, God knew I would need the reminder of His constant presence through the narratives of Moses and Pharaoh. How wonderful to be so fully known by the God of the Universe! While Joseph may have felt he had no voice and was incapable and forgotten, He was given protection and favor from the Lord. Where have you seen the Lord give you favor and protection even if it didn’t come in the same way you expected? Even in the midst of struggle, Joseph grew in his awareness of being given Divine gifts to be used for God’s glory. What a great reminder! Even when we don’t see God working in our lives, we can choose to trust His work! What specific struggle are you facing that you need to lean into the truths God is specifically providing for you? How do you feel knowing He is providing for you with loving intentionality?

2) Pharaoh didn’t know the Lord God, but still, Yahweh gave him a dream in order to lead Pharaoh to know Him. Through someone outside the people God had chosen for Himself, God continued to build His plan of redemption. God’s invitation for wholeness and forgiveness is for all people. Everyone who is currently a believer in Jesus was, at one point, rebelling against the Lord. Every believer in Jesus who currently walks in deep faith with the Lord was, at one point, wading in the shallow waters of unbelief and wrestling with doubt. We each have a faith journey and the Lord is intent on pursuing every heart that we might turn to Him and experience the blessing of redemption and the abundance of life He offers. We only see a small portion of Pharaoh’s faith journey and we don’t know if he ever surrendered himself to Yahweh, but we do know the Lord used him and invited him to know Him more deeply. Where have you seen the Lord do the same in your life? Who has He used to get your attention? What has been your response? What would it look like for you to grow in trusting Him and His design for your life?

3) Rebekah provided us with another snapshot of Joseph’s life in yesterday’s Journey Study. Because of the Lord’s goodness, years of slavery and imprisonment eventually gave way to Joseph holding the position of Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Pharaoh trusted Joseph implicitly with nearly everything in his kingdom. Even when it came to interpreting Pharaoh’s own dreams, he trusted Joseph and his faith in the One True God. While Pharaoh may not have ultimately worshipped Jehovah, Pharaoh knew Joseph’s faith to be genuine and he trusted his relationship with God and he proved it by believing Joseph’s interpretations. Through all the betrayal and harsh realities in his life Joseph kept his eyes on God, even if he wrestled with doubt along the way. How often do we question God’s plans for our lives or even His active presence? When have you felt forgotten by God?  Whether we are in a pit or a prison, whether our suffering is the result of another’s actions or our own, we still have the option to choose God’s steadfast character or reject Him. Joseph’s long wait as slave and prisoner grew his faith and prepared him to save an entire nation through his reliance on the Lord. If we choose to surrender to the Lord, He will use our suffering to prepare, refine, and redeem us for His future work. Only God knows those plans and we must trust even when we can’t see Him.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 105:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

When they were few in number,
very few indeed,
and resident aliens in Canaan
wandering from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another,
he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my anointed ones,
or harm my prophets.”

Prayer Journal
Lord, Your word shows us that throughout history, it didn’t matter whether Your people were large or small in number, Your love and protection held fast. We know too, that we don’t need to be one of Your prophets, have an extra special anointing, or a particular platform to earn Your attention; You lovingly pursue each of us.

We are surrounded by armies we can’t see and are protected from our enemies by Your hand of love. You still hold us despite our erring ways. You still walk beside and before us even in hard times, desiring to show us more of Your heart and love for us in our everyday lives. We know that without You in our lives our situations would be impossible. Because You are present with us and call us Your own children, You have equipped us by Your Spirit to extend your love and faithfulness to others. Make us effective in this work of reflecting Your love to others! We praise You for being kind and good at all times!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sketched X Day 7 Without A Voice: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Without A Voice!

The Questions

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)

3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)

Exodus 3:7-12

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, 10 therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

Original Intent

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)
The easy answer to why God was so long in bringing rescue is that we can’t understand God’s timing. His scope is significantly broader than our own and His love infinitely outshines our own. However, if we step back and study Israel’s history a bit we can make some educated guesses to help answer this particular “why” of waiting. Let’s first remember it was God who brought the Israelites to Egypt in the first place, even before they were “Israelites”.  Joseph’s own struggles and injustices led him on a winding road that gave him a position of power benefitting his family and built a new nation. (Genesis 39-45) Secondly, the Israelites needed time, several generations, to grow into a nation and a people. Their numbers grew mightily during those years in Egypt; even Pharaoh was increasingly concerned by their multiplication. Lastly, God was raising up Moses as His instrument to lead His people out of Egypt and into a land of their own. Moses needed to grow, learn, make mistakes and become the man God would use to lead His people to freedom. How tragic it would have been for Israel to be so comfortable in the shadow of another nation that they never lived out the purposes God had for them! It really wasn’t that God didn’t hear Israel’s cry, rather, He was working “behind the scenes” to align each piece and person in preparation for freedom. His long-game purpose for His people was to move in such a mighty way that no one could miss how only He, the Great I Am, freed His people from the grip of slavery. These events were a pre-cursor for another miraculous set of events in the life of Jesus when, by His suffering, He offered freedom from sin’s slavery for us all!

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)
All good stories have a beginning, and Israel’s begins long before their great exodus out of slavery in Egypt, before Joseph, before his father Jacob, and before his father Isaac. To discover the first time God spoke of Israel’s land, we go back to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-2.   God called Abraham (then known as Abram) to leave his home and travel to “the land that I will show you”. This land became known as the Promised Land referencing God’s covenant vow to give it to Abraham’s descendants. It extended from the wilderness to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. (Exodus 23:31) However, by the time Israel was finally ready to take the land hundreds of years after Abraham, it was inhabited by pagan nations like Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Keep in mind this land was part of God’s provision for His chosen people, the Israelites. It was the Lord’s land and it had been promised to Israel centuries prior. It was important Israel take ownership to fulfill the promise God had made to Abraham. Psalm 24:1 tells us “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord”. He has rights to everything and everyone; He can give and take away from whomever He chooses. 
3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)
Because Moses knew he couldn’t accomplish this impossible task on his own, he quickly admitted his shortcomings and reservations about being “the guy” of God’s choosing. He had made some big mistakes in his life, but God, as only He can, used Moses in spite of those sinful choices to shape him into a man who was open and willing to be obedient to God. Moses recognized God’s voice in the burning bush, went to investigate, and listened to what God had to say. Moses knew this monumental task of freeing Israel was far beyond anything he could do or even wanted to do. For these reasons, and probably more, he pushed back on God. In fact, in Exodus 4:13 Moses said in essence, “You’ve got the wrong guy God, send someone else.” (my paraphrase) God’s response was one of anger for Moses disobedience and disrespect to the Sovereign God, still God provided an antidote to Moses’ insecurities in the form of Moses’ brother, Aaron. Ultimately, Moses acted obediently and depended on God for the enormous mission ahead of him.

Everyday Application

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)
Don’t lose hope! If you’ve been crying to God for seemingly forever, don’t give up and assume He isn’t listening; this is a lie! God hears and is working, despite our impatience. I tend to stop praying about “it” and attempt to “help” God by pushing ahead with my solution. You’d think I’d learn to trust Him; alas, I haven’t. In the past months, I’ve intentionally worked to be still, listen and wait, but honestly, there are more days when I decide to push ahead with my plans. News flash! This doesn’t work! When we run ahead of God, we slow down His provision. God cannot be rushed. Perhaps even more frustrating than personally waiting on God is watching a loved one wait for Him. Recently, I was talking with my oldest, who desperately longs for a husband. As a parent, it’s hard not to give a solution and instead point them to Jesus! I know God is working in the waiting, but as her mom, I desperately want to fix her pain. I must remember the best I can do is lead her to seek Jesus and His comfort. Psalms 73-74 are written by a guy who clearly understood the struggle between the pain of waiting and the desire to honor God. “But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:2-3) He follows on with confident faith in verses 25-26, “Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.” As we wait on the Lord, lets determine to move closer to God and dig into His word. Psalms is strong encouragement, filled with honest cries, hope, and healing.

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)
When we remember God’s sovereign authority over every aspect of creation, including us, our perspective either shifts in alignment with truth or we press back against it, wanting to cling to a false sense of control and ownership. We all need the reminder to hold loosely to what the Lord has given for our use, even our relationships are a gift from Him. Our homes, churches, ministries, careers, and every material good is given to us by a graciously benevolent God; we are His stewards of these grace gifts and we never know when He will ask us to give something up for Him and His purposes. Job 1:21 says, “The LORD gives and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” I speak from a place of experience when I say that when we are faithful to God and His call on our lives, He will indeed ask us to give away or give up jobs, careers and even ministries. This ask has never made sense to me at the time, but after I’ve faithfully obeyed, God provides the understanding, insight and provision for the next step in my journey. It’s only in practicing full surrender of everything and everyone in our lives that we can fully embrace the abundant purposes of the Lord for us.

3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)
Because God is the Almighty God, and He has a tendency to use the most unlikely people in the most unlikely ways to further His kingdom, all of us have been given purposes that far-extend our human ability and reasoning. I could share many stories of times I’ve asked God the exact question or a similar one that Moses posed, “Are you sure about this God? I’m kind of a mess, in case you didn’t notice.” We can’t accomplish His mission in our power, but God can finish His work in us and through us by His Spirit! Jesus Himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) When it comes to accomplishing God’s mission for us, we must take Him at His word and remember the Lord’s word, “Not by strength,
Just like with Moses, God is looking for our willingness and trust, He’s got all the details already figured out. It’s okay to ask questions, God can handle them. It’s okay to feel nervous and uncertain about your abilities because they are required for us to lean in and trust in God over ourselves.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Without A Voice!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Champion Day 7 Behind The Scenes God: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Behind The Scenes God!

The Questions

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged? (verse 18)

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture like Esther’s?

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge? (verse 15)

I Thessalonians 5:14-18

And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Original Intent

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged? (verse 18)
The apostle Paul exhorted the believers in Thessalonica to help one another in their daily lives as new Christians with their eye on the coming return of Jesus. Paul was very concerned for these new believers. He and Silas fled Thessalonica because of intense persecution, and he worried about those left behind as they faced hardship. Paul sent Timothy to check on them and received good word about the faithfulness of the new believers, so he wrote to encourage and spur them on to new growth and deeper maturity. Persecution was rampant, but Jesus was worth it and he urged them to stay the course of following Christ. Hope was coming! The new believers were both Jews and Gentiles, and Paul suspicioned that false teachers were likely to come in attempting to sway them from solid truth. Paul knew the believers would need each other in order to mature, so he taught them to be on the lookout for those in need of encouragement or a reminder to work hard and do good towards each other. Paul taught God’s will is to “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything […]”. (verses 16-18) God’s will is unity between believers and between His people and Himself. When we cast our focus and affection on the Lord, choosing to worship Him in prayer, we are sowing unity. Paul knew if they pursued worship together, they would continue growing together as a community of believers with one central focus: God. To pursue God, they would need help and encouragement from their brothers and sisters in Christ. In the case of Esther, her story was woven with community as her cousin, Mordecai, and all the Jews prayed to the Lord together bringing unity and glorifying God.  

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture like Esther’s?
The Thessalonians had much to contend against between the time Paul led them to believe in Jesus and the time Paul sent Timothy back to check on them a few months later. They dealt with ongoing, intense persecution that caused Paul and Silas to flee Thessalonica. Some of their members died, and they were dealing with grief and the confusion about what would happen to their departed friends when Jesus returned. They also wondered what would happen to those alive at the 2nd coming. Some members were being lazy and living off of the generosity of wealthier Christians, while some were struggling with forsaking all of their pagan ways. The church in Thessalonica was dealing with struggles particular to their time and culture, but the intensity of need and the desire for answers is relatable for each generation. Esther stood at a crossroads for her people as they faced extermination. She interceded for them with bravery and humility, but for every step she took, it was the Lord God leading her. We don’t face the same challenges Esther or the Thessalonians did, but our culture screams just as loud to abandon our faith, choose self over intercession, and apathy over zeal for the Lord. The Thessalonians were eager for Paul’s presence, but his letter was welcome instruction on how they should proceed in his absence. Paul wanted them to keep rejoicing, keep praying, and keep thanking God for everything. This would help them focus on God and grow in their faith despite the tumult of the times.

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge? (verse 15)
Paul may have instructed the new Christians in Thessalonica to resist revenge because they were being intensely persecuted by the Greeks in their culture. Their natural, human instinct would be to get even with those harming them, but Paul counseled them that Christianity does not work that way. Even in the Old Testament, God commanded that the faithful “do not take revenge, or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18) Not only were they to resist revenge, but they were to pursue the good of everyone, even their persecutors. Paul was intent on emphasizing God’s character as their Champion to the new Christ-followers; He gives generously of Himself to His enemies by sacrificing Himself in their place. Since Paul himself had zealously persecuted Christians before his conversion, his admonition held particular significance. We are not to take revenge on others, for God Himself did not take revenge on us, instead He sacrificed for us. Mordecai particularly could have taken revenge on his arch-enemy, Haman, at any time, but he showed restraint, waiting on the Lord, trusting His ways over his own. We are to do the same.

Everyday Application

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged? (verse 18)
The exhortation in these verses is important every day, but especially on those down days when we just can’t go it alone. If the command to worship through prayer brought an entire city together to beseech the Lord on behalf of the Jews, its benefits to us in our everyday struggles are immense! Prayer and worship prove effective not because of our flowery words, but because it is the Lord who hears and acts on our behalf through our faith. There is one Champion, and it is the Lord God. Paul’s writing reminds us we need to lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ who can pray on our behalf just as Mordecai and the Jews did for Esther. We should reach out for help, encouragement, accountability, and prayer from the community around us. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” We are also reminded that prayer and praise change our perspective. If we are called to rejoice always, there is always something to rejoice over. If we pray constantly, we are communicating with God about our daily needs. Giving thanks even in the midst of hard times helps us recognize all the blessings we have that are often taken for granted.

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture like Esther’s?
It is easy to get bogged down by our never-ending to-do lists and our constant busyness. We don’t always have time to take a shower or eat a full meal, let alone pray constantly or lend a hand to a friend in need. These verses call us to be both intentional and singular in our focus on God. Esther’s need was desperate, pressing, and urging, and though our challenges aren’t the same, we can relate to her sense of desperation and urgency. Consider how we respond in our urgent need moments, or even the long-term needs we’ve been agonizing over for months or years. Are we seeing these as opportunities to turn to the Lord in prayers of faith? The more we cultivate our relationship with the Lord, the more natural it becomes to “pray always” as if breathing. God calls us to invest in our fellow Christians who may need an encouraging word or some extra patience as they face a struggle. He calls us to always pursue what is good for one another, which flies in the face of our culture’s “me first” mentality. While it can be challenging, it is one of the best ways we can represent Christ to our neighbors. John 13:35 tells us, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” We are challenged to make careful choices about where we spend our time and energy, purposing to help our friends in need, to seek support when we need it, and keep our focus on God alone.

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge? (verse 15)
Paul implores us to be patient with everyone, which includes our enemies. Why is this so necessary? In a way, revenge seems like a great way to ensure that justice, at least our version of it, is served. If someone is doing evil, they deserve to get some pay back. God says, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) God wants us to focus on forgiveness and doing good toward others, not on how we can make someone pay for their sins. We cannot champion our own stories by exacting our own revenge. James writes that, “human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent […].” (James 1:20-21) The only one worthy to judge or bring retribution is the Lord God! Romans 12:21 tells us we are able to conquer evil with good. It is vital to resist revenge because by doing so we are taking the first step to overcoming evil with good; only in this can we surrender to the True Champion. In this way, we get our enemy’s attention and turn their focus to the goodness of God instead of our own vengeance. In this way, we practice being like Jesus and trust the results to Him, just as Esther modeled!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Behind The Scenes God!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Champion Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Wilderness Day 14 Bitter Places: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Bitter Places!

The Questions

1) What is the new heaven and the new earth? (verse 1)

2) How is God dwelling with humanity? (verse 3)

3) Why is God making everything new? (verse 5)

Revelation 21:1-5

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Original Intent

1) What is the new heaven and the new earth? (verse 1)
The idea of a “new heaven and a new earth” sounds like a foreign concept to our ears. However, John’s readers would have had context for these words from Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:7-13, Peter presents a very clear description that the currently known world will someday come to an end. The Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven, returning to His place at the right hand of Father God, but He promised to return (Matthew 16:27, Acts 1:11) and Peter likens His return to a “thief in the night” telling his readers the return will be when least expected. John points to good news; when the earth as we know it ends, there is the promise of a new one! God has promised to deliver this perfection of things to come to His bride, the Church. (1 Corinthians 15:52-55) The letter of John’s Revelation provides details about this new heaven and new earth using the best words and imagery John could possibly use to convey what the Lord Jesus revealed to him in a vision of what would one day become reality.

2) How is God dwelling with humanity? (verse 3)
God created Adam and Eve in His image (Genesis 1:27), and ultimately, the rest of mankind are created as image bearers of the Almighty God. While we do not know the extent of Adam and Eve’s dwelling together in the Garden of Eden, we do know God came to them and they hid from Him in shame of their sin. (Genesis 3:8) Genesis also makes it clear that Adam and God spent time together in some fashion as Adam named all the animals and God told Adam He would make a “helper suitable for him” while on earth. (Genesis 2:15-23) The Bible is also clear that Jesus, the Son of God, came and dwelt on earth as God in the flesh. (John 1:14) The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) detail Jesus’ time dwelling with humanity as a human. John’s audience would have been familiar with Jesus’ dwelling on earth, some had likely even been a first-hand eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry. However, John now tells of a new kind of dwelling. John sees God physically dwelling with humanity for eternity. Up until this point, this has always been impossible due to sin. There are times in the Bible where God talks to His creation but doesn’t dwell with them. God is now able to live among His creation still as God, but now in a perfected relationship.

3) Why is God making everything new? (verse 5)
John is writing his Revelation letter to churches who were being persecuted for their faith. It wasn’t an easy time to be alive and follow Jesus; believers faced harsh penalties for believing in Jesus. However, these believers knew the promises of God and knew that someday all things would be made new. Jesus would return and establish a new heaven and a new earth and what they knew as reality would cease, even if they never saw the fruition of the promise while they lived earthly lives. Because of Jesus, their coming Hope of all things being made new, was incorruptible. God provided John with the exact words of hope and promise that Christ’s followers needed to hear in the midst of deadly persecution. Someday, all would be made new and the present sufferings wouldn’t even compare to the coming glory! (Romans 8:18) Just as when a person is in Christ, leaving their old way of sinful living behind, they become a new creation for the old has passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17), so God will do the same with all of creation when Jesus returns. God is providing a hope for these believers, and all believers, to hold on to in the midst of trial.

Everyday Application

1) What is the new heaven and the new earth? (verse 1)
This world can be difficult to live in with its brokenness and grief. If I have learned anything over the last two years of facing the pandemic of Covid, it’s that life isn’t perfect or easy and challenges will come. Sin runs rampant and we are faced with the consequences of it everywhere we turn. However, as believers in Jesus, we hold a promise that this is not how things will be forever. You and I live in a world that will someday end. One day, Jesus will return and we will all face judgment. (Matthew 25:31-46) For those who have trusted their lives and souls to Jesus, we are assured we will forever be safe with the Lord, welcomed home to be with Him. (1 Peter 1:3-4) We cling to the hope that God will fulfill His promise of newness, and when He does, He will establish a new heaven and a new earth. This newness will be more than we can imagine; its perfection guarantees God will dwell with us and nothing will remain in the former brokenness. God has proven Himself trustworthy over and over again throughout the Bible. (2 Timothy 2:13) We can rest assured that God will fulfill this promise right along with every other one. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Jesus will return, defeating sin and Satan once and for all and establishing a new earth without even a hint of sin’s destruction or our enemy, Satan. (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)

2) How is God dwelling with humanity? (verse 3)
Though we have a “down payment”, a mere inkling of what is to come, through the Holy Spirit living within us (Ephesians 1:14), God dwelling with His people is something we have only read about. We know Jesus walked on earth as a man with humanity and was God’s Son in the flesh. However, we have no concept of what the coming glory will be like to experience the full glory of the triune God dwelling with us. (1 Corinthians 2:9) We were born thousands of years after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. However, Jesus came to rescue you and I from the consequences of our sin, which is death (Romans 6:23), just as He came to rescue those who physically walked beside him while He was on earth. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was as much for my sins and yours as they were for those who watched Him suffer. The best news is His resurrection and defeat of death is also mine to share when I accept His sacrifice. The good news doesn’t end! Jesus promised to return and defeat Satan once and for all, and when that happens, sin will be no more. Jesus’ blood has paid the penalty for sin and we will be able to dwell in the holy presence of God. What a joyful day that will be!

3) Why is God making everything new? (verse 5)
The earth is full of sin, death, pain, grief, and so much more. There are days when all hope seems lost and the pains of this world seem more than we can bear. We have all experienced some of this by living through a global pandemic, some of us bearing the toll in deeper ways than others. All true believers experience persecution for their faith in varying degrees, for many around the world this means their very lives and families are constantly threatened for their faith. This persecution we experience, like our brothers and sisters to whom John’s letter was written, is not unexpected, but this is not the experience God originally intended. The Garden of Eden was perfect before Adam and Eve chose sin and, just as the Bible starts with a perfect creation in Genesis, it ends with a perfect creation in Revelation. God absolutely will make all things new in ways that are beyond our wildest imaginings. (Isaiah 64:4) He will establish His perfect creation where we can dwell with Him and all the pains of this world will cease. (2 Corinthians 6:16) John closes these verses with a promise from God that His words are “faithful and true”. (verse 5) We don’t need to doubt or wonder in insecurity because we can KNOW God will do what He has promised and we have the promise of perfection in eternity with our perfect Creator. I don’t know about you, but that brings joy that can’t be stolen even in the midst of sorrow!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Bitter Places!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Wilderness Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Advent Day 9 The Suffering Servant: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Suffering Servant!

The Questions

1) What do we learn of the Promised Messiah from Isaiah’s description? (verse 2-3)

2) What did Jesus achieve on our behalf? (verses 4-5)

3) What truths can we know about our human condition from this passage? How does this impact our relationship with God? (verses 6)

Isaiah 53:2-6

2 He grew up before him like a young plant

and like a root out of dry ground.

He didn’t have an impressive form

or majesty that we should look at him,

no appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.

He was like someone people turned away from;[a]

he was despised, and we didn’t value him.

4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,

and he carried our pains;

but we in turn regarded him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion,

crushed because of our iniquities;

punishment for our peace was on him,

and we are healed by his wounds.

6 We all went astray like sheep;

we all have turned to our own way;

and the Lord has punished him

for the iniquity of us all.

Original Intent

1) What do we learn of the Promised Messiah from Isaiah’s description? (verse 2-3)
Throughout Scripture, many facets of Jesus’ character and His role in human history are revealed. He is present before creation (John 1:1) as a part of the Triune God and active in it (Hebrews 1:2); He is preordained as Savior (Ephesians 1:5); His role and presence echo throughout the Old Testament (John 8:56-58, Hebrews 11:26, Jude 1:5, 1 Corinthians 10:4). In Revelation, Christ is foretold as mighty redeemer and judge. (Revelation 19:11-16) But, between the imagery at creation and the powerful descriptions in Revelation, we glimpse something unexpected. Our God is humble and meek. (2 Corinthians 10:1) First on display in the lowest of places, a feeding trough, God is born in human form. Philippians 2 highlights His willing submission to death on a criminal’s cross. Isaiah’s prophecy describes Jesus growing up as a “tender shoot” in dry ground. This statement refers to Him as a “sucker” plant or something that comes from the plant but isn’t part of it. He brought divinity with Him in whole, it didn’t come from another source. “From dry ground” references the difficulties experienced where He was raised (in Nazareth, an insignificant town with economic and political troubles). Additionally, “dry ground” represents the harsh reality of hearts hardened by sin, unwilling to accept Christ as Lord. In His humanity, Jesus came from humble beginnings without majesty to attract us to Him. (verse 2) The Hebrew word God uses to refer to the relationship between Himself and Israel is “helper”. “The One enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth.” (Psalm 113:5-6) All of Scripture tells of a humble God who consistently stoops to “raise the poor from the dust and lift the needy from the ash heap.” (Psalm 113:7-8)

2) What did Jesus achieve on our behalf? (verses 4-5)
Jesus bore our griefs and sorrows, was pierced for our transgressions, and punished for our sins. The word translated rebellion in verse 5 comes from the Hebrew word, pesha, which generally is associated with rebellion, trespass, or revolt. In the New Testament language of Greek, the term used is parabasis, and it implies a breaking or violation of the law. Spiritually speaking, these actions are the result of a defiant or rebellious spirit, one that is bent away from a Holy God. Every sin we commit, willfully or not, is an act of rebellion against holiness. These are the transgressions, pesha, for which Jesus was pierced. Isaiah 53:5 proclaims He was crushed for our iniquities. “Iniquities” refer to something deeply profound in a person’s heart; it is our human sin nature. This depravity within a person leads us to sin and be accountable for the guilt that accompanies the iniquities of our wicked hearts. Jesus didn’t just take my iniquities and your iniquities. He took the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) The sin of the entire world from the beginning of creation until He returns. He took it all. (1 John 2:2) Jesus was punished for all sin and sinfulness, for the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve to the sins we commit today, and all that will be committed in the future. He was pierced, crushed, and punished for us, in our place. We are offered peace with God and healing for our broken, sin-infested hearts through His willing substitution for us. His peace and healing are not ours by default, but become ours when we choose to trust Him at His word and surrender ourselves fully to Him. This is what He gives us, and He gives it at the ultimate cost—His own life.

3) What truths can we know about our human condition from this passage? How does this impact our relationship with God? (verse 6)
Verse 6 describes the entirety of human experience in relation to God, “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way…”. In any good relationship, we know there is a give and take, a mutual love, respect, and sacrifice. There is faithfulness and pursuit of the other person for the good of the relationship. But Scripture teaches that when it comes to our relationship with God, He is the one who is loving, respectful, sacrificing, faithful, and pursuing. We go astray. We turn to our own way. Of course, we have moments of love which grow over time, but these are due to the Holy Spirit working within our surrender to Him. It is the Spirit inside of every believer who cultivates true sacrifice, respect, faithfulness, and following Him. These moments grow into longer seasons as we practice submitting to the Spirit, but invariably, we wander from Him. As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) It is our nature to stray and His to stay.

Everyday Application

1) What do we learn of the Promised Messiah from Isaiah’s description? (verse 2-3)
Isaiah foretells how the Messiah would be despised and rejected which was fulfilled in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and even today. We would expect God’s message of hope, love, and forgiveness embodied in Jesus to be gladly received like water on a hot day.  Instead, Jesus’ message is often despised and rejected. We are prone to esteem Him not. (verse 3) We likely know people who have rejected Christ or have animosity toward Jesus. We should think of them, pray for them, love them, reach them, and be present in their lives as the fragrance of Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:15) In doing so, we become conduits of God’s grace and love. Just as importantly, we should remove the log of sin from our own eye before removing the speck from others. (Matthew 7:4-5) We must examine our hearts and lives through the lens of Scripture as we submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. (James 1:22-25) It’s easy to be like the man who entered the temple, thanking God he wasn’t like the sinner across from him. (Luke 18:10-14) God asks us to examine our lives to see where we reject Him, His people, and the gospel. (2 Corinthians 13:5) If we are honest, we will know we reject God by our actions, thoughts, and speech. Even those committed to following Christ wholeheartedly fail to do so perfectly. Because of God’s humble, patient, merciful love, He continues extending opportunities for us to repent (turn away) from sin. We can turn to Jesus for forgiveness when we acknowledge and repent of the ways we reject Him. When we allow the compassionate Lord to remove our log of sin, we can extend His love and hope to others on His behalf.

2) What did Jesus achieve on our behalf? (verses 4-5)
In Isaiah 53:4, we are reminded that Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Truly pondering this reality draws us to Him with deep gratitude and humility. We do not serve an unapproachable God who is “distant” or “up there,” but one who chooses to be right here, in the mix with us as we suffer. We have a Great High Priest who sympathizes with us as described in Hebrews 4:14-16. He is with us, and He cares about what we endure. Not only does He care, but He bears up our griefs and sorrows, taking them upon Himself. He steps into our place of sin, accepts the punishment for our sin and the ramifications of our sin nature. He bears it all, so we may be set free to live in a restored relationship at peace with Him. He provides the means for us to be healed at our deepest soul level. Because of His intimate investment in each of us, even though we were born into a sin-infested world, inheriting a sin-nature in our flesh, we can live renewed, reborn, and resurrected from the death that was our first inheritance.

3) What truths can we know about our human condition from this passage? How does this impact our relationship with God? (verses 6)
We are prone to wander. We go astray like sheep. How do sheep stray? It’s been said, “One nibble at a time,” and that’s quite accurate. A sheep becomes fixated on grazing and loses sight of both their surroundings and even the shepherd himself. Most sheep won’t “run” away; instead, they nibble away, one small action at a time. So do we. We nibble at selfishness, self-centeredness, pride, Pharisee-like legalism, lust, greed, anger, fear, and a myriad of other sins. In doing so, we take another small bite and barely notice how we are straying from Jesus bit by bit. At some point, our wandering might get so far off we look up from our grazing and wonder where our Shepherd has gone and how we got so far away from Him. We lost sight of Him, but He never lost sight of us. He is the Good Shepherd, and He leaves the ninety-nine to pursue us when we stray. (Matthew 18:10-14) We may leave His side, but we never leave His sight. Knowing we are prone to wander can help us become more purposeful in keeping our eyes on Him. We can and should set our hearts on Him more consistently and with greater intentionality. Even still, we will wander from Him. In those times, we can rest in this promise: He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and He will always bring us back (Psalm 71:20-21).

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Suffering Servant!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Advent Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Word Day 8 It Is I Am

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 6:16-21
Exodus 3:11-15
Isaiah 26:3-4
John 1:1-5
John 10:27-30

Word, Day 8

I can only imagine the disciples’ terror as the “high wind arose, and the sea began to churn.” (John 6:18)

When they set sail, the lake was calm, but in the darkness, far from shore, they were suddenly caught in a ferocious storm. As they battled against the wind and waves, they must have been in a desperate state. Perhaps they wondered if they would survive.

Have you ever been caught in a storm?

I’m fortunate to never have an experience like the disciples of being out in a boat in such a fierce storm, but I can certainly identify with their fear.

We all experience storms in life through challenges, disappointment, and suffering when life feels out of control just as it did for the disciples. We, too, can feel like we’re battered by the waves and desperately straining to find a way through the chaos back onto solid ground.

At moments like these, it’s very easy for circumstance and fear to overwhelm us.

Into the midst of the disciples’ fear and panic came a figure walking on water. I imagine this sight only deepened their terror until they heard the comforting call of a familiar voice, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (John 6:20)

The storm still raged as waves continued rolling, but Jesus invited His disciples into a space without fear. The tumultuous seas had not calmed, but Christ was present.

The Greek words translated “It is I,” in John 6:20 are “ego eimi,” which literally means, “I am.”

I am.
Don’t be afraid.

These words are reminiscent of Moses’ encounter recorded in the Old Testament. While he wasn’t caught in a physical storm, he was catapulted into a similar state of overwhelming fear. When God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, calling him away from his comforts to lead the Israelites to freedom from slavery in Egypt, Moses’ first response was, “I can’t.”  (Exodus 4:13)

He felt inadequate. (Exodus 3:11)
He was not skilled at speaking. (Exodus 4:10)
Surely, no one would listen to him. (Exodus 4:1)
Who was he to take on this momentous task? (Exodus 3:11)

The reassurance God spoke to him was not to encourage Moses that he really had all the skills required within him to pull it off. Instead, the Lord God simply promised, “I will certainly be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)

Still unsure, Moses asked for God’s name; on whose authority could Moses point to when coming up against the rulers of Egypt. To which, “God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”” (Exodus 3:14)

I AM – two very small words with an incredibly powerful meaning.

I love the explanation provided by Compelling Truth:

“With this statement, God declared that He is self-existent, eternal, self-sufficient, self-directed, and unchanging. But this statement also declared that He is present.”

This truth was exactly what Moses needed to give him the courage to approach Pharaoh. This Name was precisely what the disciples needed in their boat on a stormy sea.
The storm didn’t need to cease, their faith needed an anchor in the all-powerful Name of the Great I Am.

For every storm we face, this truth remains for us, meeting us exactly where we are to provide precisely what we need, His presence.

If we have put our trust in Jesus, then the almighty, eternal God who created the universe, and holds all power over darkness is with us. We are secure in Him and nothing can snatch us from His hand. (John 10:28)

The more we get to know God and grasp this truth, the more we are changed.
Our circumstances may remain the same, but we are transformed.

Only a few short years after that night on the lake, the disciples displayed amazing courage and boldness in speaking out for Jesus. They were even willing to face death rather than renounce their faith in “I AM” or stop telling others of His mighty rescue of their souls. By this time, they had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion as He took on the punishment each of us rightfully deserves because of our sin. They had seen Christ breathe His last, be buried, and then prove Death powerless as He was resurrected from the grave.

Because they knew Him more,
they trusted Him more.

They were willing to surrender their lives if required;
they knew He was worth it.

What about us?
Will we allow ourselves to be transformed as we come to know Him more?

We may not have a choice about our circumstances, but we do have a choice about where we place our trust.

Isaiah reminds us of the peace that’s possible if we can lift our eyes from our circumstances to gaze on God:

“You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!” (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Whatever challenges you’re facing, big or small, whether you’re caught in a storm like the disciples or facing a daunting task like Moses, may you know God is with you, and may you quiet yourself to hear Him speak:

“It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Word!

Fervent Day 11 Suffering Of One

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Romans 15:30-33
2 Corinthians 12:6-10
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Fervent, Day 11

I’ve never really considered myself to have suffered for Jesus.

Unfriended on social media?
Losing a real, face-to-face, personal friendship?
Labeled as the “Jesus girl” or the “church girl”?
On the receiving end of snarky comments, text messages, and emails?

Yes, to all of these.

Beaten for proclaiming Christ?
The lives of my children threatened for my refusal to renounce Jesus?
Imprisoned for relentlessly sharing the gospel?

Never, not once. Not even a hint.

Occasionally, I will remember to pray for the “persecuted church,” even pray fervently with tears and renewed vigor, but I shamefacedly admit to generally feeling fairly disconnected from “them.”

Then, one summer I read a book that marked me for life.
Some things you simply cannot un-read.

Nik Ripken, using a pseudonym to protect his identity and countless other believers whose stories he tells, shared many unforgettable accounts in his book The Insanity of God. Years later, Stoyan’s testimony continues to speak volumes to me.

Stoyan had been imprisoned for his faith, and as Nik thanked him for sharing his story, Stoyan made a remarkable statement:
“I thank God and I take great joy in knowing that I was suffering in prison in my country,
so that you, Nik, could be free to share Jesus in Kentucky.”

My heart plummeted as I read his words, and simultaneously put up defenses.
How could Stoyan consider it a trade-off for himself to be chained so that I can be free?

We aren’t connected!
Me, in midwestern United States, free to drink Starbucks, parade around Target at my leisure, share Jesus when, or if, I want, walk in my church doors whenever I please (or don’t please) and belt praise music whenever I feel (or don’t feel) the urge.
Stoyan and I are not connected.
How could we be so intertwined that I should feel a debt to him and his persecution?

A debt so heavy I should feel all the more urged to share Jesus, as if on his behalf?

My response was similar to Nik’s…
“Those words pierced my soul. I looked Stoyan straight in the eyes. ‘Oh, no!’ I protested. ‘No! You are not going to do that! You are NOT going to put that on me. That is a debt so large that I can never repay you!”

I pray Stoyan’s response will mark your heart like it has mine.

“Stoyan stared right back at me and said, ‘Son, that’s the debt of the cross!’
He leaned forward and poked me in the chest with his finger as he continued,
‘Don’t you steal my joy! I took great joy that I was suffering in my country,
so that you could be free to witness in your country.’

Then he raised his voice in a prophet-like challenge that I knew would live with me forever: ‘Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution! That is our witness to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!””

“Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution.”

Sisters, I confess I have done exactly this.
I have indeed “given up” sharing the hope I and Stoyan both possess because, well, I have other things to do, you know? All the Target runs, the coffee, the groceries, the running of kids to all the places, the laundry, oh please the laundry…
Besides, what if I push someone away in my passion to share Jesus?
What if I offend someone?
What if they ask me a question I can’t answer?

When I am afraid of “awkward”. . .
I plead for the Holy Spirit to remind me of Stoyan’s call to
“never give up (my witness of Jesus) in freedom what he wouldn’t give up in persecution.”

The apostle Paul was familiar with persecution.
He was also familiar with the comforts of life.
He knew hunger, and he had lived in plenty.

He knew years of education and finery, and had also felt the cuts of whips, the weight of rocks as he was stoned, and emotional distress accompanying oppression.

His prayers on suffering in the church have little to do with being removed from it, but rather, persistence to share Jesus in suffering, together with other believers.

“… brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, (…) and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people…”
(2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, emphasis mine)

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints…” (Romans 15:30-31, emphasis mine)

Stoyan, Paul, Nik, myself, and you, dear sister Christ-follower, wherever you are living in the world, are all connected.

There is no “persecuted church” and “free church.”
We.
Are.
Church.
Together in One Body, Christ’s.

Every single believer carries the weight of the same gospel, purchased by the same blood, from the same God and Savior of us all. May we cease to be guilty of “giving up in freedom what our brothers and sisters refuse to give up in persecution.”

Stoyan is right to expect the free-by-law believers, to boldly share Jesus, precisely because he is suffering for the same gospel.

We are bound together.
All suffering together.
All preaching Christ together.
All interceding for one another together.

Unity is the heart of Paul’s laborious prayers and the thread woven through every single letter he penned. Because we are one, may we live, and preach, and suffer as one.

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Follow Day 2 Trust Through Tears: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Trust Through Tears!

The Questions

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?

John 9:1-7

As He (Jesus) was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him. 4 We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.

Original Intent

1) Why does Jesus connect the man’s blindness to God’s glory and Jesus’ work? (verses 3-4)
It was a common belief among Jews that sickness was a consequence inflicted by God as a result of sinfulness. This came from the incorrect interpretation of an Old Testament passage, “
Do not bow in worship to them (false gods), and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” (Exodus 20:5) Each time this warning is recorded in Scripture, it’s tied to keeping the Ten Commandments. God is reminding Israel He cannot overlook sin because He is just. Hearts that rebel against the Lord God will be punished, and that legacy will often live on their children and grandchildren. The original passages are very clearly focused on the heart condition resulting in sinfulness, but over time, and the sway of legalism from the Pharisees, Jews stretched the consequence to mean a physical illness instead of an idolatrous heart. It’s easier to blame something physical on sin than be prompted to examine our hearts before a holy God, isn’t it? Just as in the Old Testament, Jesus is still seeking after true heart humility and this man’s blindness from birth was
neither random nor an accident. It wasn’t “by chance” Jesus met this beggar at a divinely appointed time on the roadside that Sabbath so his blindness would be the gateway for God’s glory to be revealed through
Jesus’ work.

2) What is meant by connecting “work” to “night” and “day”? (verse 4)
It’s the small words in the Bible that often mean the most. If you want to dig deeper and grow in what the Holy Spirit will teach you, pay attention to the little words of Scripture. On the heels of Jesus correcting the disciples’ theology (their understanding of God) on the blind man, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach His disciples about purpose and mission. He begins by using the little pronoun “we”.  “
We must do the works of Him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.” (verse 4) God Almighty, humbled in the flesh, standing before human disciples, just invited (again) ordinary people to do His divine work with Him. How unspeakable! Jesus did not come to earth to sit idly by, learn carpentry from His human father, Joseph, make good friends, and be an upstanding citizen in the ancient middle east. He came with a purpose, and He “must” accomplish it. That Greek word for must, another small word, means “bound or lashed to”. Christ was “lashed to” His purposeful work to follow the mission of the triune God. While Jesus walked the earth, there was intentional work to accomplish. When He ascended to Heaven, He continues His work of interceding on behalf of us to the Father, but our work also continues on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ah, the beautiful “we”. Every believer “lashed to” the work being done in unity with the Father, Son, and Spirit. Work now, while it is light, while it is still called “today”. (Hebrews 3:13-15) For a time will come, when the Light given by the Holy Spirit will be gone as Believers are taken to be with the Lord forever, and the time to do Kingdom Work on earth will end as Jesus returns in judgement. (Philippians 2:9-12)
3) What does Jesus mean by being the light of the world as long as He was in the world? (verse 5)
As John writes in His gospel, Jesus is the “Light of men” and He was revealed as He entered the world. (John 1:4-9) In Revelation, the same author, John, describes the vision of “New Jerusalem”, which is the eternal home for all who believe in Jesus, as not needing any planetary light source. “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22) Jesus IS the light. When He walked the earth, He was on mission to accomplish the very specific work of the divine godhead to rescue mankind. This covered every moment and every action of Jesus. His mission was interwoven into every aspect of His life from the mundane to the magnificent. When He ascended back to Heaven, He made it clear to the disciples the “we” work was intended to continue. “
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.(…)” (Matthew 28:19-20) While Jesus was still with His disciples He gave them a heads up that though He was leaving, He would send His own Spirit to dwell within them. Through the Spirit’s power, they would continue the work He had called them into. (Acts 1:8) Also while Jesus was on earth, He taught that we also were the “light of the world”because His light is within us. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Everyday Application

1) Why does Jesus connect the man’s blindness to God’s glory and Jesus’ work? (verses 3-4)
It’s an interesting trifecta, isn’t it? One no sane human being would ever devise. We run from suffering. We plead against loss whether it’s financial, emotional, or physical. But, where we see ruin, deep sorrow, and grief curtained in black darkness, the Lord of Light and Life sees a gateway for His glory to be revealed through the work of Christ! Our sin-wrecked hearts are destined to send each of us to an eternity apart from Love and Hope with God, but God took the suffering from our sin and magnificently gave Jesus and His work on the cross as a means to bring about His glory of saving us. What is more glorious than taking what is worthless and esteeming it to the highest place of honor?! One man’s story from ancient Israel can become our anthem in everyday life. Whether it’s losing your patience with your unruly toddler, the emotional gut-punch from your teenager, the sickening grief that comes from watching a loved one die painfully, the heart-wrenching agony of knowing the one you loved walked out on you, or something else entirely, the triad remains and hope is alive. Our suffering opens the door for Jesus to do His work, and God’s glory will be the telltale trademark of our redemption stories. The question we need to ask is, will we surrender to His hand, or will we drag ourselves, and our pain, away in agonizing anger or self-demise, rejecting the Lord of Life and Love.

2) What is meant by connecting “work” to “night” and “day”? (verse 4)
How often do you wake up, do your morning thing, and remember that everything stretching out before you on is an opportunity to work with the God of the Universe?! Not everyday?! Me either! As our awareness of this reality grows, however, the quicker we are to view everything we do in life as kingdom work. This drastically shifts our perspective and gives us new meaning, purpose, and real depth to even the most mundane aspects of our lives. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Jesus said we must work while it is day. Today. This moment, and the next. The one when you are in conflict with your spouse. The hot minute when you want to scream at your toddler. The “fat minute” when your teenager acts like a teenager. The moment when your heart screams over injustice committed against you or your head hangs in shameful regret. These are all moments that fill “the day”. There is work to do here and now. There is “We” work that “must” be done. These are the opportunities to surrender to the work the Holy Spirit is actively doing in us, as we submit our will to His, and allow His work to flow through us to advance the Kingdom one moment at a time. Are you ready to work alongside the God of your heart? He’s inviting you in!


3) What does Jesus mean by being the light of the world as long as He was in the world? (verse 5)
There will come a day when the time for work will be done. The opportunity to choose to surrender one’s will and self to Jesus will close. Work for the Kingdom will cease, and Christ will summon everyone to His judgement seat where only those whose names are found written in the Lamb’s book of life will be given full access to dwell with God forever. (Revelation 20:15) Everyone else will be turned away to the “lake of fire” and eternal separation from God’s love. This should urge us forward with passion to work for advancing God’s kingdom now! Paul fervently wrote to the church in Rome, urging them to “love one another” because “…it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12) How will you choose to surrender more to God’s will today than you did yesterday? Love well, Sisters, the day’s end is near!


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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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